Method and apparatus for hydraulic dredging



Sept. 1, I925.

1,551,657 .0. c. GOERIZ METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HYDRAULIC DREDGING- Filed o 26'. 1923 a INVENTORJ arm Cf {feel-z;

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i ATTORNE Patented Sept. 1, 1925.

UNITED STATES v OSCAR- G. GOERIZ, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

METHODAND APPARATUS FOR HYDRAULIC DREDGING.

Application filed December 26, 1923. Serial No. 682,701.

' 710 all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, osoAn Cl. Gonnrz, a citizen of Germany, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda, State of California, 6 have invented a new and useful Method and Apparatus for Hydraulic Dredging, of which the following is a specification in such full and clear terms as will enable those skilled in the art to construct and use the 10 same.

This'invention relates to an improvement in hydraulic dredging equipment, one object of which is to produce a dredge which will be more efiicient than'the present installae tions because better adaptable to wide ranges in the lengths of discharge pipe, as Well as to the wide variety of materials dredged from the bottom of water-ways.

The equipment described herein makes use of appropriate and adjustable velocities in the suction pipe to lift only such an amount of solids to thedredge pump as can be transferred to the place of deposit with the velocity obtainable in the particular dis- 2 charge pipe for the prevailing capacity of,

the dredge. pump. 7 It is understood by those skilled in the artthat the hydraulic equipment of a suction dredge comprises four principal parts, 3 to produce and transport a mixture of water 7 and'solids: First, a cutter or agitator;'se cond, an inclined suction pipe; third, a centrifugal dredge pump; fourth, a long, substantially horizgntal delivery or discharge I 'pip'e, whlch-may, at times, have short, steeply inclined sections. i

It is apparentfrom mechanical construc- 41319118 that the solids contained in the mixture are carried alongbyfriction andimpact 0 between the water and solids,and that the water in such a mixture travels somewhat faster than the solids. vFor the transportation of fine material, 'suchas mud, or light materials such as peat, there is required a very small difference in speed bdtween the water and transported particles, but such materials as are coarse and ofhigh specific gravity are transported with difliculty. The latter materials require considerable difference of velocity to transport them, and this fact renders it necessary to use large absolute velocities of the waterand mixture.

The present invent-ion provides means to remove an appropriate quantity of water from the mixture after the solids have been brought above the inclined portion of the. suction pipe thereby making use of a lar e quantity of water at a high velocity, whi e the materials are being lifted up the steeply inclined pi e, whereas the remaining smaller quantity 0 water or lesser velocity is ample to carryhe solids through the practically horizontal discharge pipe.

The suction pipe maybe of equal diameter with the discharge pipe, but usually a larger diameter suction pipe will be made use of, since that is the way dredges are commonly equipped. The latter feature will allow the use of the ordinary dredge without the aux-- iliairy equipment when the delivery pipe is extremely short and the pump capacity so big that a rich mixture of solids can be handled through the ample suction pipe, but it must be understood that without the proposed auxiliary equipment, such a dredge will not work most economically if the discharge pipe is long when the pump capacity falls off and the velocity in the suction pipe becomes small.

Another object of the invention is to improve the discharge conditions in the discharge pipe of a hydraulic dredge.

From the foregoing it will heap arent that the same conditions obtaining 1n the suction pipe will be observed in any section of the discharge pipe when it is necessary to force the discharge up a short steep incline.

This condition is met by reducing the size of the discharge pipe tothe top of the incline, and widening the diameter to the original size by means of a long conical piece interposed between the two.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which the same reference numeral is applied to the same portion throughout, but I am aware that there may be modifications thereof.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a dredge showing this invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of the auxiliary pump and settling chamber, the latter smaller inclined pipe'oauses an increase in charge pipe line showing the manner of pump 18 re sults in a considerable reduction. overcoming sudden rises in the line. in the fr1ct1on loss of the p1pe 20 SlIlCB less The numeral 1 indicates a barge on which water is transported. there is mounted a motor 2 directly con- VVhat I claim is as follows, but modificanected to the pump 3, which pump has the tions may be made in carrying out the 1nhorizontal suction pipe 4 on the end of vention shown in the drawings and in the which is the pivoted suction pipe 5 with the above particularly described form thereof, cutter or agitator 6 at its lower end. Within the purvlew of the invention as de- A boom 7 carrying a block 8 over which fined by the annexed cla1ms. a cable 9 passes is used for the support of 1.-A method of operatlng hydraul c the suction pipe at the proper level. The dredges which consists in drawing a mlxture cable also passes through a pulley 10 on the of solids in water up an 1ncl1ned suction lower end of the suction pipe to support the p1pe,then removing a portlon of the clearer latter and to raise or lower it at will. The water, and finally forclng the remaining boom 7 is supported by the cable 11. water and solids 'throu h a smaller dis- Between the pump 3 and the upper end of charge pipe to a place 0 deposit. the pipe 5, there is installed a section of p1pe 2. A method of operatlng hydraulic 12which opens on the top into a wide box dredges wh ch conslsts 1n drawing sol1d ma- 13, a kind of classifier or spitzkasten, which terials suspended in water up an inclined has a series of reversely positioned bafiie suction p1pe, passing the mixture throu h plates 14, 15, 16 therein, said plates being a settling chamber, wlthdrawing and disfor the purpose of preventing the heavy charging some of the clearer water from materials from passing up into the settling sa1d ch amber at the dredge level, and finally chamber. At the upper end of the classifier forcing the remaining mixture through a is a suction pipe 17 which extends to and is smaller dlscharge p1pe to a place of deposit. connected with the auxiliary pump 18. '-The 3. In a suction dredge, the-combination pump 18 is operated by any suitable motor of a suction pipe, a centrifugal pump, a dis- 19 and it has a flaring underwater discharge charge p1pe, and. means to remove some of pipe 19 to discharge.the water with the the water from the system at the dredge. least possible loss of residual energy. 4. In a suction dredge, the combination The main pump 3 has discharge pipe 20 of a suction p1pe," a centr'ifu leading to some remote place of discharge, nected-thereto, a dlscharge p1pe therefor, a said p1pe being frequently as long as a mile hydraulic separator through which the or even two miles in some instances. mixed water and solids pass, and means to In figure 3 the discharge pipe 20 is shownremove from the system a portion of the at a point where a steep bank must be water at the. dredge. climbed. Here the pipe is provided with a 5. In' a suction dredge, the combination tapering nozzle 25,. a section 26 of smaller of a suction pipe, a centrifugal pump condiameter, a long reversely' tapering nozzlenected thereto, a discharge p1pe therefor, a 26 and the final discharge pipe 27. The hydraulic classifier through which the mixed materials pass; and means to remove water velocity and effectively lifts the masome of the clearer water from saidclassifier terials. It is also advisable to have the at the dredg. I rising 'ortions of the pipe placed .at an 6. In a suction dredge, the .combination inclinatlon less'than the angle of repose for of a suction pipe, a centrifugal pump conthe materials beinghandled, because whennected thereto, a' hydraulic classifier through ever the pumping operations stops all the which-thematerials pass to said pump, a materials in the section 26 tends to slide second ump to remove someo'f the clearer back to the nozzle 25, thereby clogging the water rom said classifier, and a discharge pipe. pipe for the main pump.

In operation the speed within the suction pipe 5 is made high enough to carry the of a suction ipe, a centrifugal pump condesired materials up the incline whatever it nected there 0, a dlscharg'e p1pe therefor, a may be, and the pump 18 is operated to hydraulic classifier included in a horizontal remove the proper volume. of comparatively I portion of the suction pipe at about the level clear water at a point where the suction pipe of said pump, and a second pump to remove is. substantially at the level of. the main some of the clearer water from said pump 3. The settling chamber prevents classifier. any of the heavier materials from passing" into the auxiliary pump, and the smaller of a suction pipe, a suction pump connected volume of enriched mixture can .then be thereto, a discharge pipe, an auxlliary pump forced through the smaller pipe 20 at a to directly discharge some of the'water passsuflicient velocity to carry said materials. ing into the suction ipe and means to vary The removal of the surplus water by the I the volumetric capac1ty of the second pump gal pump con- 7. In a suction dredge, the combination.

8; In a hydraulic dredge','the combination in proportion to the capacity of the second being provided near each end of the smaller pump. inclined portion.

9. In a suction dredge the combination of In testimony whereof I have hereunto 1 a suction pipe, a pump connected thereto, set my hand this 18th day of December 5 a discharge pipe having its steeply inclined A. D. 1923.

portions of less diameter than its horizontal portions, reversely placed tapered sections I OSCAR C. GOERIZ. 

